The Queen and Her Court
CC, WTAMU to sign nursing degree agreement
Clarendon College and West Texas A&M University will sign confirmation of an articulation agreement to streamline the transfer process of nursing graduates at Clarendon College at 3:15 p.m. Thursday, October 18, at the Barfield Activity Center in Clarendon.
“WT’s nursing program is very highly regarded in the Texas Panhandle, and this partnership is outstanding for us,” Clarendon College President Dr. Robert Riza said.
The agreement will allow associate’s degree receiving students with up to 90 credit hours to automatically initiate the transfer process for a bachelor’s degree at WTAMU even before enrolling. Formalizing the transition will allow aspiring RN licensed nurses opportunity to scholarships, academic support and advising resources at WTAMU.
“At its core, this articulation agreement between Clarendon College and WT’s RN-BSN program will facilitate a seamless transition for students with an associate’s degree in nursing to pursue a baccalaureate in nursing at WT,” Dr. J. Dirk Nelson, dean of the college of nursing and health sciences, said.
“This is a win, win, win. Students will benefit by earning a BSN; both Clarendon College as well as WT will benefit; and the public will benefit from healthcare being provided by additional baccalaureate educated nurses in our region,” Nelson said.
With the convenience of online courses, the nursing program at WTAMU serves hundreds of transfer colleges across the country and has received nearly 50 national rankings since 2014. Students are able to apply up to 56 credits for core and prerequisite courses from their community colleges and 34 hours of nursing course credits toward an RN license.
“This agreement provides a great opportunity for our residents working in healthcare fields,” Riza said. “It allows us to be a vehicle to help them in achieving their goals and furthering their education without leaving their jobs and families.”
This is the second articulation agreement for students in the Allied Health Department at Clarendon College. In 2016, CC partnered with Texas Tech University Health Science Center on a “3+1” Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences degree.
H’wick action limits aldermen who volunteer
The Howardwick City Council approved a resolution regulating aldermen who serve on volunteer organizations at its regular meeting last Tuesday, October 9.
Action on the resolution came early in the meeting which lasted almost three hours as Alderman Debbora Sharpton said she believed that Alderman Bryce Hawley has a conflict of interest as a member of the volunteer fire department.
“Every time you’re voting for the fire department not for the city,” Sharpton said before moving to go into closed session.
Hawley objected to going into closed session and asked for the issue to be discussed publicly.
Sharpton said Hawley is supposed to recuse himself from discussions about the fire department and votes affecting the department but has not. Alderman Marietta Baird pointed out that the council had asked Hawley to be a liaison with the fire department earlier this year.
“Why can he not speak up?” Baird asked.
At one point, Mayor Greta Byars said she had the power to make motions and moved to adopt Resolution 152. As discussion continued, Hawley asked to strike language in the resolution that prevents aldermen who are volunteers from participating in discussions affecting their volunteer organization, but he received no support for that position.
The board ultimately approved the resolution, allowing aldermen to serve volunteer organizations but preventing them from participating in discussions or votes regarding that organization.
Early in the meeting, Byars announced that an attorney would be coming to future council meeting to train aldermen on the Open Meetings Act and admonished the council about walking quorums or serial meetings of less than a quorum outside of a posted meeting to decide how to vote at an upcoming meeting.
“I know this is happening,” Byars said, calling it “very, very illegal.”
Byars said that aldermen are sometimes “almost stacking the vote before we come to a meeting.”
The meeting was also marked by aldermen having to ask Mayor Byars to be recognized by her before speaking, something Byars had requested during her mayoral comments at the opening of the meeting and she said is required by Ordinance 111.
Other items before the council last week included a discussion of building codes and the enforcement of those code. Code Officer Jerry Mulanax is proposing the city adopt new building codes, and he had two experienced building inspectors with him to speak on that topic.
The issue of adopting new codes as well as the pricing and requirements of permits for buildings was tabled for another meeting.
Jeremy Kindle’s request to set a food truck on Lots 185 and 186 in the Navajo section of the city was approved.
The council approved a motion to purchase a new back door for City Hall as part of its work to come into compliance with a report from the state fire marshal.
Mayor Byars reported on an ongoing situation with John and Kristina Rucker and their desire to put a “tiny home” made from a storage container in the Nocona Hills section. Current zoning rules require that homes in that section be a minimum of 1,000 square feet, and the structure in question is less than that.
Byars said the storage container is already on the property without the city’s permission, which led to a discussion about not needing permission or a permit for storage buildings.
The council approved a motion by Hawley to declare the structure a storage container with the council agreeing that if the Ruckers try to move into the structure they will be in violation because of the building not meeting the 1000-square-foot requirement.
Byars and City Secretary Sandra Childress also reported to the council about their meeting with Red River Water Authority on a number of issues. Chief among those was the discovery that several residents are receiving water services without paying for them and that some residents don’t even have water meters.
While the lack of meters or payment for water obviously impacts the water authority, Red River collects the city’s trash payments through the water bills as well, city officials said.
Childress said that she has calculated that the city is experiencing about $4,000 per year in lost revenue because of those residents not being billed.
City Hall is continuing to investigate this problem and is working with Red River on a new franchise agreement.
City sales tax revenue up in October
Clarendon’s sales tax revenue recovered substantially from its September dip when Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar distributed October funds last week.
The city received $34,348.92 this month, an increase of 26.74 percent over the same period in 2017.
Last month, Clarendon’s sales tax revenue dipped 8.28 percent, marking the city’s first drop after seven months of increasing sales tax revenues.
Clarendon’s calendar year-to-date total now stands at $344,139.71, which is up 8.21 percent compared to one year ago.
Howardwick’s revenue also climbed this month, posting a 151.56 percent gain at $3,111.41 and driving that city’s year-to-date total up 31.25 percent at $12,430.67.
Hedley was down this period 32.16 percent at $293.20, but the year-to-date figure there is still up 71.10 percent at $10,259.89.
Statewide, Hegar sent $735.9 million in local sales tax allocations for October, 11.4 percent more than in October 2017.
These October sales tax allocations are based on sales made in August by businesses that report tax monthly.
Firemen work two Hedley fires
Volunteer firemen from Hedley and Clarendon worked two structure fires in Hedley last week.
Hedley Fire Chief Neil Koetting said his department and Clarendon’s responded to a report of a fire at former convenience store on US 287 Wednesday morning, October 10.
The fire appeared to have started in a storage building behind the store and then spread to the main building, Koetting said. Firemen had to cut holes in the roof of the vacant store to get access to the blaze.
The cause of the fire was not determined immediately and was being investigated by the Donley County Sheriff’s Department and the State Fire Marshall’s office.
Wednesday evening, another fire was reported. Koetting said the home of Dusty Wilkinson was a total loss, and he said the fire appeared to have been caused by an electrical fire in a wall.
Tommy Daniel Bolin
Tommy Daniel Bolin, 62, of Giles, Texas died Tuesday, October 9, 2018, in Childress.
Memorial services were held on October 14, 2018, in Robertson Saints’ Roost Chapel, Clarendon, with Michael Johnson officiating.
Dan was born on November 22, 1955, in McLean to Tommy and Sally Cole Bolin. He attended Hedley School, Clarendon College, and Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas. Dan loved playing and watching basketball. He was awarded All-State in high school and he also played at Clarendon College and Ambassador College.
In 1983 he married Karen Henson and together they had 2 children, Sarah and Matthew. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening, and playing dominoes with friends. Dan was as a masonry and worked for B&H Landscaping. He was a member of the Living Church of God where he was involved in spokesman club and played on the church basketball, volleyball, and baseball teams. He loved the Lord, his family, and his friends.
He is survived by a daughter, Sarah Holland of Memphis; son, Matthew Bolin of McLean; 2 brothers, David and Ricky; 2 sisters, Nicki and Kim; 2 step children, Chris Henson and Tamara Finnegan; a Grandson, Kaleb; and the mother of his children, Karen Bolin.
Phillip “Hunk” Hermesmeyer
Phillip “Hunk” Hermesmeyer, 88, of Clarendon died Wednesday, October 10, 2018, in Amarillo.
Rosary will be said at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, October 11, 2018, in Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Groom. Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Friday, October 12, 2018, in the Church with Fr. Arokia Raj Samala, as the celebrant. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Groom.
Arrangements are under the direction of Robertson Funeral Directors of Clarendon.
Hunk was born July 26, 1930, on a place sheltered by cedars at the edge of the caprock southeast of Jericho. The Hermesmeyer brothers moved there in 1907 and for 99 years, Hermesmeyers lived and worked there.
“They didn’t know much about Catholics in Jericho,” Hunk said of the time his family settled there. “My family either managed to go somewhere to Church or have the priest come to them.” Hunk was a faithful Catholic his whole life.
Hunk spent his working life taking care of farms and ranches and helping neighbors. He spent many years tending to the Johnson Ranch. He had fond memories of neighbors like Charlie McMurtry and John Blocker. Hunk and his brother Johnny were very active in the rodeo association in Clarendon.
Hunk retired in 2005 and moved to Clarendon. He said he could have moved anywhere, but “this is the kind of people I like.” In retirement, Hunk drove the whole Panhandle collecting an enormous amount of cans and scrap aluminum. Hunk collected pocketknives and had much respect for craftsmen of all kinds. Hunk had a bottomless well of jokes and loved to make friends, neighbors, and strangers laugh.
He was preceded in death by his sweet wife Geraldine; parents, Frank and Nell Hermesmeyer; brothers, Frank “Bud” and Johnny Bill; and sisters, Mary Pauline Kline, Nell Britten, and Bernadette.
He is survived by his sister, Joan Gulde of Amarillo; many nieces and nephews, including Cindy Foster and husband Brett of Borger and their sons, Brady and Brody; as well as Bill Hermesmeyer of Panhandle; and two step-daughters, Jeri Lynn McGowan and husband David and Patricia Ann Coffey and husband Bob.
The family requests memorials be sent to St. Mary’s Catholic Church Building Fund in Clarendon.
Jo Jan Seitz Nunley
Jo Jan Seitz Nunley, 68, of Canyon passed away on Sunday, October 14, 2018, peacefully at her home. Cremation arrangements are by Brooks Funeral Directors of Canyon. Private interment of ashes will be in Eldorado, Oklahoma.
Jo Jan was born on November 24, 1949, in Lubbock, Texas to Elbert L. and Willie Jo Gossett Seitz. In 1957, she was baptized at the First Baptist Church of Dalhart. She was a 1968 graduate of Stinnett High School. Jo Jan married Darwin Clayton Nunley on January 8, 1972, in Canyon and received her Bachelor of Business Administration from West Texas State University in May 1972.
Jo Jan was an administrative assistant at P&M Coal Mine in Raton, New Mexico and at West Texas A&M University in Canyon and wrote as a freelance writer on approximately 200 articles published in national magazines and newspapers.
She was a loving mother and grandmother. She will be fondly remembered for her passionate games of Spades and Wahoo. She enjoyed annual trips to Tall Pine Resort in Red River, New Mexico for over 50 years. She loved her small dogs, family, and friends. She will be greatly missed.
Jo Jan was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.
She is survived by her daughter, Scarlet Estlack and husband, Russell of Clarendon; two sons, Patrick Nunley and Spencer Nunley, both of Canyon; and three grandchildren, Maggie Nunley of Amarillo, and Nathan and Daniel Estlack, both of Clarendon.
Owl court
Cotton Festival to be held October 12-13
A Donley County tradition continues this weekend as Hedley hosts the 67th annual Cotton Festival on Friday and Saturday, October 12 and 13.
The Hedley Lioness Club will get things going Friday with a Chili & Stew Supper at 5 p.m. The club will also be selling chances on a quilt.
Hedley’s Athletic Department will host Bingo on Friday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday starting at 8 a.m. in the Senior Citizens building.
Also Friday night at 7:00 p.m., a Hootenanny will be held at the Lions’ Den featuring Johnnie Woodard.
Saturday’s events begin with the Hedley Fire Department’s Pancake Breakfast from 6 to 9:30 a.m. at the First Baptist Church. The Rowe Cemetery Association will hold a bake sale at Moffitt Hardware.
At 11:00 a.m., the Lions Club will host a catered BBQ dinner, and the Senior Citizens will be serving hamburgers. Also, Saturday at 10 a.m. the Hedley Senior Citizens will host a cake walk.
The Kiddie Parade will be held at 2 p.m., followed by the Community Parade. After the parade, the School Reunion is at the school at 3:00 p.m.
Saturday evening, the Hedley Volunteer Fire Department will hold a barbecue dinner from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church. The festival will close out with entertainment and drawings at the Lions’ Den Saturday night starting at 6 p.m., including the annual drawing for a bale of cotton donated by Donley County Gin and K. Huddleston Sales.
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